SoftBank Completes $30 Billion OpenAI Commitment While Absorbing DigitalBridge Into Its AI Infrastructure Push
Published on 10/01/2026 at 16:11 | Editorial boerse-global.de
SoftBank Group has closed out its landmark bet on OpenAI, wiring the final $10 billion tranche through its Vision Fund 2 on Thursday and bringing the full commitment announced in February to $30 billion. The payment had been expected in April and July, when the Japanese holding company delivered the first two installments.
Investors greeted the completion with a 3.1% advance in the stock to EUR 36.70. The cumulative outlay now stands at $64.6 billion, giving SoftBank roughly a 13% stake in the AI developer — a position that secures it a prominent seat at the table in the global artificial intelligence race, though not control. The OpenAI Foundation retains 26% and the right to appoint the board, and SoftBank holds no confirmed director seat.
Bond Proceeds Cover the Bill as a Credit Line Is Retired
The closing payment was funded from the proceeds of newly issued foreign-currency notes. SoftBank placed $11.1 billion of those bonds about a week ago, and management simultaneously cancelled the remaining $10 billion of capacity under a credit facility. With every loan tied to that agreement repaid, near-term refinancing pressure has evaporated.
Contractually, SoftBank could have pulled the payment forward had an OpenAI IPO been imminent. The company instead intends to focus on technical capabilities and safety through the current year, so the transfer went out on its original schedule.
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DigitalBridge Deal Closes, Adding Data Centers and Towers
The OpenAI outlay slots into a broader build-out of SoftBank's own AI foundations. A day earlier, the group finalized its acquisition of DigitalBridge Group for about $3.1 billion in cash, or $16.00 per share for all outstanding common stock. The U.S. infrastructure investor delisted from the NYSE before Wednesday's open and will be run as a controlled subsidiary, with its platform businesses continuing under CEO Marc Ganzi. Its assets and results will be consolidated into SoftBank's accounts from the closing date.
DigitalBridge targets digital networks — data centers, cell towers, fiber, edge infrastructure and small cells — and holds interests including Vantage Data Centers and, in Japan, the telecom operator JTOWER. The transaction capped a process that began with a merger agreement dated December 29, 2025, followed by shareholder approval on April 23, 2026, and full regulatory clearance in the U.S. from FERC and CFIUS as of September 22, 2026. Vanguard, BlackRock, Pentwater Capital Management and Bank of America numbered among its prior shareholders.
A Wider Web of AI Bets
Beyond data-center capacity, SoftBank is advancing partnerships in adjacent fields, including a recently agreed joint venture with automation specialist ASI into which it contributed $225 million. OpenAI remains the central driver of the strategy. According to Bloomberg reports, the U.S. developer is negotiating a fresh funding round of at least $30 billion at a valuation of roughly $1.4 trillion. SoftBank had already committed up to $30 billion in March 2026, with settlement of the bonds issued for that purpose falling just over a week ago.
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In European trading, SoftBank shares closed Wednesday at EUR 35.60, a 29% gain over 30 days, leaving the holding company with a market capitalization equivalent to EUR 193.46 billion. Thursday's session added further support from Asia, where strong quarterly results from U.S. chipmaker Micron lifted the semiconductor sector and drove Japanese technology names higher. For SoftBank's shareholders, attention now shifts from completed transactions to how the expanding portfolio performs operationally.
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